Pneumatic tube carrier tracking system

ABSTRACT

A system and method provides for a pneumatic tube carrier tracking system having a system control module that captures and presents tracking information associated with sending and receiving carriers. The pneumatic tube carrier tracking system comprises sending and receiving stations connected by pneumatic tubing, and which are configured to securely send carriers, with receiving users optionally being restricted from unauthorized access of carriers. The sending and receiving stations have identifying tag readers configured to scan identifier tags to read carrier delivery, carrier receipt and receiving user information. Destination and intended recipient information are entered at the sending station when sending a carrier and are transmitted to a system control module, which routably delivers and secures the carriers in response the destination and intended recipient information.

This application is a divisional of U.S. Non-provisional applicationSer. No. 13/372,571, filed Feb. 14, 2012, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No.12/288,129, filed Oct. 16, 2008, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,116,906on Feb. 14, 2012, the entire contents of the entire chain ofapplications is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present principles generally relate to pneumatic tube deliverysystems. More specifically, the present principles refer to a system andmethod for tracking carriers and associated payloads in pneumatic tubedelivery systems, while optionally securing the contents. The systemcomprises a scanner that allows a user to capture unique identifiers forindividual carriers and contents, sending stations, receiving stationsand sending and receiving users. A database disposed within the systemalso permits the user to archive and retrieve data associated withsending and receiving deliveries through the pneumatic tube system.Further, the system comprises the ability to institute security measuressuch as holding a carrier until a receiving user's identification(hereinafter “ID”) is entered into, and verified by, the trackingsystem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In large institutional settings such as hospitals, the dispensing anddelivery of drugs has become a time consuming process. In particular,sterile items, controlled medications, biological samples, and the likeneed to be prepared and transported in a secure environment whileensuring the safety of patients and hospital workers.

Transporting objects via pneumatic tubes is known to the art. Pneumaticdelivery systems are used extensively for the rapid and efficienttransportation of a wide variety of articles. These delivery systems areused in a number of business operations, including, but not limited to,banks, hospitals, office buildings, industrial plants, andtransportation terminals.

To send a payload in a carrier, an object is placed within a carrierwhich is then transported within enclosed pneumatic tubing by air undereither positive or negative pressure to a desired destination. Theinterior of the closed tube and the outer dimension of the carrier forma seal so that the carrier can be propelled between the destinations bya vacuum or positive air pressure.

One specific area of commerce which currently uses the pneumatic tubefor transporting materials is the hospital or biomedicalresearch/manufacturing industry. Pneumatic tube delivery systems haveproven to be particularly useful for transporting blood samples,medicines, intravenous bags, viral samples or other biological orchemical matter within hospitals or laboratories. Some of the payloadstransported may be highly addictive drugs (i.e. morphine) which need tobe tightly controlled.

Thus, there is clearly a need for a system providing a secure pneumatictube carrier delivery. A need exists for a system providing tracking ofcarriers in a pneumatic tube system to ensure the secure delivery ofcarrier contents to authorized end users. Furthermore, there is a needfor an auditable trail indicating the chain of custody of carriercontents.

According to the present principles there is provided a pneumatic tubecarrier tracking system for tracking carriers in a pneumatic tube systemcomprising a pneumatic tube system, a connecting diverter with blower,and storage piping with diverters, sending and receiving stations, asystem control module, and identifying tag readers configured to readidentifying tags. The identifying tag readers scan delivery informationto provide secure and authorized delivery of carriers and theircontents. The identifying tag readers and system control togetherprovide an efficient and secure method and system of tracking carriersand carrier contents throughout the pneumatic tube system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Presented herein is a pneumatic tube carrier tracking system having asystem control module that captures and presents tracking informationassociated with sending and receiving carriers. The system controlmodule comprises a database module and a computer control center(hereinafter “CCC”) module in signal communication with the databasemodule.

The pneumatic tube carrier tracking system further comprises a sendingstation and a receiving station. The sending station and the receivingstation are routably connected by pneumatic tubing for the delivery ofcarriers. The sending station has an identifying tag reader configuredto scan identifier tags to obtain delivery and identifying informationfor a carrier. The identifying tag reader then transmits the deliveryinformation to the system control module. The receiving station has anidentifying tag reader configured to scan identifier tags to obtain andtransmit reception information for a carrier to the system controlmodule.

The identifying tag reader transmits delivery information and receptioninformation to the CCC module which interprets delivery information andreception information and sends commands to the pneumatic tube system tocontrol routing of the carrier in the pneumatic tubing. The databasemodule is configured to receive and store delivery information sent tothe System Control Module from the sending station and receptioninformation from the receiving station.

According to a method of using the present invention, the carriercontents are prepared for a carrier to be sent to the pneumatic tubecarrier tracking system. Identifying tags are scanned using theidentifying tag reader at the sending station to capture deliveryinformation. The delivery information is transmitted from theidentifying tag reader to the system control module and the carrier issent through the pneumatic tubing system from the sending station. Thesystem control module receives the incoming delivery information fromthe identifying tag readers at the sending station and logs and storesthis information in the database module. The CCC module interprets thedelivery information and sends commands to the pneumatic tube system tocontrol the operations of the system and routably deliver the carrier.The carrier is routed through the pneumatic tube system in response tothe delivery information and sensed by optical sensors in the branchesof the pneumatic tubing until it reaches the receiving station. Thecarrier is delivered to the receiving station where identifier tags arescanned by an identifying tag reader to capture reception information.The reception information is transmitted to the system control modulefrom the identifying tag reader and the sender at the sending station isoptionally notified that the carrier has been delivered. The pneumatictube carrier tracking system allows a carrier to be routed from anystation on the pneumatic tubing system to any other station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the present principles can be obtained byreference to a preferred embodiment, along with alternative embodiments,set forth in the accompanying drawings where like reference numbersindicate like elements throughout the drawings. Although the illustratedembodiments are merely exemplary of systems for carrying out the presentprinciples, the organization and method of operation of the principlesin general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, maybe more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the followingdescription. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of theprinciples, which is set forth with particularity in the claims asappended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplifythe principles.

For a more complete understanding of the present principles, referenceis now made to the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system and method for trackingcarriers and payloads in a pneumatic tube system according to anembodiment of the present principles.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an automatic pneumatic tube systemaccording to an embodiment of the present principles.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for tracking carriers andpayloads in a pneumatic tube system according to an embodiment of thepresent principles.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of preparing and sendingcarriers and payloads from the sending station according to anembodiment of the present principles.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method of receiving the carriersand payloads from the receiving station according to an embodiment ofthe present principles.

FIG. 6A is a diagram of a carrier having a bar code identifier tagaccording to an embodiment of the present principles.

FIG. 6B is a diagram of a carrier having a Radio FrequencyIdentification (“RFID”) tag according to an embodiment of the presentprinciples.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams of a handheld PDA Reader according to anembodiment of the present principles.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a pneumatic tube station according toan embodiment of the present principles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrative embodiments of the present principles are disclosed herein.However, techniques, systems and operating structures in accordance withthe present principles may be embodied in a wide variety of forms andmodes, some of which may be different from those in the disclosedembodiment. Consequently, the specific functional details disclosedherein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed toafford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide abasis for the claims herein which define the scope of the presentprinciples.

Some elements of the present principles are illustrated as modules forperforming described functions. While these modules may be described interms of software implementations, any hardware, or combination ofhardware and software may be used to implement the present principleswithout deviating from the scope or spirit thereof.

Moreover, well known methods and procedures for both carrying out theobjectives of the present principles and illustrating the preferredembodiment are incorporated herein but have not been described in detailas not to unnecessarily obscure novel aspects of the present principles.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a diagram illustrating a system and method fortracking carriers and payloads in a pneumatic tube system 100 accordingto an embodiment of the present principles is shown. System controlmodule 222 controls the operation of pneumatic tube system 100, reading,storing, and presenting data, and tracking the delivery of carriers inresponse to the collected data. One or more identifying tag readers 108may read and store a unique ID tag associated with the carrier contentsor payload 110, or with the sending user's ID 112, the receiving user'sID 120, or the carrier ID 114. The identifying tag readers 108 may alsoread and store a unique ID tag associated with the sending station anddelivery station. In one useful embodiment, an identifying tag reader108 may read the ID tag of objects using an optical scanning system toread bar codes. Alternatively, an identifying tag reader 108 may employan optical scanning system to identify characters and read and store theID or identifier information of various objects. In another embodiment,the identifying tag reader 108 may identify objects using RFID or otherradio frequency technology. Additionally, any other identificationtechnology known, or as yet undiscovered, may be used within the scopeof the present principles. The sending user's ID may be a badge, awristband, or the like. The identifying tag reader 108 may replace theneed for a control panel, allowing all the necessary scanning,interpreting, and sending of a payload to be performed at one station.In alternative embodiments, the identifying tag reader 108 may be thesending station itself.

The identifying tag reader 108 sends identifier information fromdelivery station 104 to system control module 222. The delivery stations104 and 106 may be a station primarily used to send or primarily used toreceive payload containing carriers. However, delivery stations 104 and106 may be used to both send and receive carriers.

System control module 222 receives identifier and delivery informationfrom the identifying tag reader 108 at delivery station 104 anddetermines the appropriate actions to be performed on delivery station106. For example, the system control module 222 may use the informationfrom identifying tag reader 108 at delivery station 104 to determine towhich delivery station 106 a carrier 610 will be routed and whichreceiving user ID 120 must be scanned in order for the receiving user toreceive the carrier 610 (given that the sender requires the receivinguser ID to be scanned prior to receiving the carrier). The receivinguser at delivery station 106, upon receiving the carrier delivery, usesan identifying tag reader 116 to scan their ID 120, carrier contents118, and the carrier ID 122, completing the transaction. Thisinformation is sent from the identifying tag reader 116 at deliverystation 106 to system control module 222 to be recorded and stored inthe system.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a diagram illustrating a pneumatic tube system200 according to an embodiment of the present principles is shown. Thepneumatic tube carrier tracking system 200 comprises transmission tubing228, a system control module 222, and a sending station 224 andreceiving station 208 for initiating the sending of carriers andreceiving the sent carriers. Although FIG. 2 demonstrates a one zonepneumatic tube system 200, a system with multiple zones and theinclusion of any number of sending 224 and receiving stations 208 ispossible without deviating from the scope of the present principles. Thesystem also includes blower 214 and one or more diverters 216 and 226which direct the transportation of carriers 610 from storage compartment218 to sending station 224 or receiving station 208 at the direction ofthe system control module 222. Furthermore, pneumatic tube system 200may include a plurality of inline identifying tag readers or opticalsensors 220 configured to track or sense the carriers as they aretransported through the tubing 228. The inline identifying tag readersor optical sensors 220 may be implemented for example, through a windowor a section of the tubing 228, through an RFID antenna disposed on arecess section of the tubing 228, through an optical sensor disposed inthe tubing 228, or the like. The inline identifying tag readers oroptical sensors 220 read, or otherwise sense, the passage of a carrierassociated with the payload being transported through the pneumatic tubesystem.

In one embodiment of the present principles, the ID tags may be used torecord the location and ID 114 and 122 of a carrier 610 at variouslocations throughout the pneumatic tube system 200 to send to the systemcontrol module 222 in order to keep a log of each carrier's locationinformation as they move through the pneumatic tubing 228. This createsan auditable trail indicating a chain of custody. It allows the user toknow where the carrier and its contents have been and where they aregoing.

While the present principles are described with respect to a hospital,the present principles may also be used in, but are not limited to,banks, retail stores, pharmacies, laboratories, or the like.

ID tags may also be associated with the ID of sending and receivingusers. The ID tag scanning at the sending stations 224 and receivingstations 208 may be performed by an identifying tag reader such as, forexample, a handheld PDA 700. However, any identifying tag reader 108 and116 configuration may be used including, but not limited to, a scannerintegrated into the sending or receiving station, or any other known oras yet undiscovered configuration.

System control module 222 may include database module 202 and CCC module206 in signal communication. The system control module 222 receivescarrier information from the tag readers at the sending and receivingstations and logs the carrier information into a database module 202.Additionally, the system control module 222 may receive carrier locationinformation from inline identifying tag readers or optical sensors 220disposed throughout the pneumatic tube system 200 and log thisinformation into a database manager 202.

The database module 202 may be, for example, a relational database, aflat file database, fixed length record database, or any other datastorage mechanism known or as yet undiscovered in the art. Further, thedatabase module 202 may reside on a stand-alone server, or the samemachine as the CCC module 206.

The CCC module 206 manages data by interpreting data stored in thedatabase module 202 and sending routing commands to the pneumatic tubesystem based on location data and delivery information collected fromsending users. In one useful embodiment, the CCC module 206 performs thefunctions of a data manager. In an alternative embodiment, there may bea separate data manager module to interpret the data stored in thedatabase module 202 and send routing commands to the CCC module 206which then sends commands to the pneumatic tube system based on locationdata and delivery information.

The sending station 224, diverters 216 and 226, blower 214, carrierreceiving bin 210, and receiving station 208 are all in signalcommunication with, and controlled by, the CCC module 206. The CCCmodule 206 interprets the data in the database module 202 and generatescommands in the form of signals to individual elements in the pneumatictube system 200 to control the actions of the system 200. For example,the CCC module 206 may command the pneumatic tube system to activate theblower 214 to transport a carrier 610 through the pneumatic tube system200. In response to data stored in the database module 202, the CCCmodule 206 may generate a signal to turn on blower 214, which blows airto move the carrier 610 throughout the pneumatic tube system 200.Similarly, the diverters 216 and 226 may be signaled by the CCC module206 to route a carrier to a particular branch in the pneumatictransmission tubing 228 to be delivered to a desired receiving station208.

The system control module 222 may also be configured to managedeliveries. The system control module 222 receives requests for deliveryfrom a sending station 224. The data input by a user at a sendingstation 224 identifying tag reader 108 is used to determine the physicallocation of a carrier 610 and where the carrier 610 should be routed to.Additionally, the system control module 222 uses the information fromthe sending station 224 to determine how the carrier should be delivered(i.e. secured, with alarms, etc.).

System control module 222 may also track carriers 610 as they move pastinline identifying tag readers or sensors 220 in the pneumatic tubing228. The system control module 222 may generate records to show that acarrier 610 passed an inline identifying tag reader or sensor 220 at acertain time. These records may be used to ensure that carriers 610 arerouted correctly and in the correct order. Location recordation may alsobe used to troubleshoot and initiate error notifications, such as astuck or lost carrier 610, or may be used to guarantee or verify atimely delivery for perishable contents (i.e. drugs or blood contentsthat must be refrigerated). Additionally, reports on chain of custody ofcarriers may be generated to keep record of who has a specific carrierat a specific point in time and where that carrier is located.

The system control module 222 may also control and verify delivery toreceiving users at receiving stations 208. In order to initialize ashipment, the sending user enters information into the sending station224 that will be used to manage carrier 610 routing and delivery throughthe pneumatic tube system 200. The sending user prepares the contents ofthe carrier 610 for shipment. The contents of the carrier 610 may be,for example, prescriptions, blood samples, patient file information, andthe like.

After the sending user prepares the contents of the carrier 610 forshipping from the product production station 232, the sending user mayscan the ID of the carrier contents 110 with the handheld PDA 700. Thesending user may also scan the sending user ID 112, the ID of thedesired receiving station 106, and the ID of the carrier 114 with thehandheld PDA 700.

In one useful embodiment, the sending user may work at a desk or stationseparate from the sending station and may place the carrier 610 on aconveyor belt at the product production station 232 to be deliveredautomatically to the sending station 224. The contents and the carrier610 are brought to the sending station 224 via an incoming conveyor fromthe product production station 232. The product prepared by the sendinguser enters the carrier 610 through an opening in the top of the carrier610. In one embodiment, a loaded carrier 610 may optionally be moved toan inspection station and subsequently sent into the pneumatic tubesystem 200 where it is delivered to the proper location in response tocommands from the CCC module 206. Alternatively, the contents and thecarrier 610 may be deposited directly into the sending station 224 bythe sending user without the aid of a conveyor belt or inspectionstation.

In another useful embodiment, a more passive system may be used for thescanning of the delivery information. The identifier tags may be RFIDtags which can be read by an RFID identifying tag reader. In such anembodiment, the sending user at the sending station 224 may move nearthe RFID identifying tag reader while holding the carrier and itscontents, and the reader will read and send the ID information from thesender, the carrier, and the contents to the system control module 222.Thus, sending users may advantageously avoid physically scanning eachidentifier tag to obtain delivery information.

The scanned information from the handheld PDA 700 is transmitted to thesystem control module 222 where it is stored in the database module 202and interpreted by the CCC module 206. The CCC module 206 thendetermines the destination of a particular carrier 610, and thenecessary command to route the carrier 610 properly. The CCC module 206sends routing commands to the pneumatic tube system 200 to control theoperations of the system.

Blower 214 and diverters 216 and 226 may be used to coordinate anddirect the transportation of the carriers throughout the pneumatic tubesystem 200 and between the storage compartment 218 and the pneumatictube system 200. Carriers move through branches of the pneumatic tubing228 in the system under vacuum or pressure supplied by blower 214. TheCCC module 206 sends a signal to the blower 214 to blow air to transportthe carrier 610 at the appropriate time. As the carriers move throughthe system, the CCC module 206 controls the carriers' 610 routing bytransmitting commands to diverters 216 and 226 which may change theposition and/or direction of the carriers 610. In an alternativeembodiment, a vacuum system may be used in place of a blower 214 to movecarriers 610 through the pneumatic tube system with negative airpressure.

In one embodiment, after the CCC module 206 routes the carriers 610through the tubing 228 via the diverters 216 and 226, the carriers 610travel to the carrier receiving bin 210 at the receiving station. Atthis station, the carrier 610 is opened and the contents of the carrier610 are dropped in the carrier receiving bin 210. The ID of the emptycarrier 122 may then be scanned with the handheld PDA 700 to keep recordof which carriers 610 are available from the storage compartment 218 forother shipments.

Upon receipt of the contents the receiving user may scan their ID 120,and may also scan the ID tags of the carrier contents 118. Thisinformation is sent to the system control module 222 where it is storedin the database module 202 and interpreted by the CCC module 206. TheCCC module may optionally notify the sending user of completion of thetransaction according to the sending user's instructions entered whenthe carrier was initially sent.

In an alternative embodiment, a slide plate 236 may be disposed in thepneumatic tubing 228 at a location prior to the carrier receiving bin210. The slide plate 236 may be used as a security measure, holding thecarrier 610 above the carrier receiving bin 210 until the authorizedreceiving user scans their ID 120. The sending user may be given theoption by the handheld PDA 700 prior to sending the carrier 610 from thesending station 224 of requiring the receiving user to scan thereceiving user ID 120 before retrieving the contents. If the sendinguser requires the receiving user to scan the receiving user ID 120, theCCC module 206 will engage the slide plate 236 and hold the carrier 610in the tube 228 above the carrier receiving bin 210 until the receivinguser scans the receiving user ID 120. If the sending user does notrequire this security option, the carrier 610 will be allowed to movethrough slide plate 236 and into the carrier receiving bin 210. Theinline identifying tag readers or optical sensors 220 disposedthroughout the pneumatic tube system may also be associated with theslide plate because they are configured to sense the passage of thecarrier and its contents through the pneumatic tubing until it reachesthe slide plate. The inline identifying readers or optical sensors 220may verify to the CCC module that the carrier has arrived at the slideplate at which point the CCC module may determine if a receiving user IDneeds to be scanned.

In another embodiment, after each transaction is complete, the deliveryinformation stored and recorded by the system control module 222 may bemade accessible to users via a web browser. However, in alternativeembodiments, this information may be accessible via stand-aloneapplications, hard copy documents, or any other useful report format.The delivery information may be used to audit compliance with deliveryprocedures, required time constraints, or to track any missing orproblem deliveries.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow chart illustrating a method 300 fortracking carriers and payloads in a pneumatic tube system 200 accordingto an embodiment of the present principles is shown. The sending userscans the delivery information in block 302. The identifying tag reader108 disposed at the sending station 224 sends the information to the CCCmodule 206 in block 304. The CCC module 206 determines the physicaldestination of the carrier delivery in block 306. The data regarding thecarrier delivery is then stored in the database module 202 in block 308.The CCC module 206 sends commands to the elements of the pneumatic tubesystem 200 in block 310 to route the carrier and to engage or open theslide door 236. Finally, the receiving user receives the carrier 610delivery in block 312 and notification of the carrier delivery is sentto the sending user in block 314.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a flowchart illustrating a method of preparingand sending carriers and payloads 400 from the sending station 224according to an embodiment of the present principles is shown. Thesending user receives a request for a delivery (i.e. a prescription,blood sample, file information, or the like) in block 402. The sendinguser prepares the contents and requests a carrier 610 from the storagecompartment 218 of the pneumatic tube system 200 via the handheld PDA700 in block 404. Upon receipt of the carrier 610, the sending user mayscan the carrier ID 114, content ID 110, the sending user's ID 112, thesending station ID 104, or the receiving station ID 106 using theidentifying tag reader 108 in block 406. The sending user may optionallyrequire the receiving user to scan the receiving user ID 120 before thecarrier 610 moves to the carrier receiving bin 210 in block 408. If thesending user requires the receiving user to scan their ID 120 before thecarrier 610 moves to the carrier receiving bin 210, then the sendinguser has the option of being notified if the receiving user ID 120 isnot scanned after the carrier 610 moves to the carrier receiving bin 210and to the receiving station 208. If the sending user chooses to benotified then they may select an alarm for notification from thehandheld PDA 700 in block 410.

The sending user also has the option of being notified, for example,when the carrier 610 arrives at the receiving station 208, gets stuck ina tube 228, or contents have been spilled. If the sending user choosesto be notified when the carrier arrives at the receiving station 208,gets stuck in the tube 228, or contents have been spilled, then he/sheselects a notification. If not, then in one embodiment, the sending userplaces the carrier 610 on the conveyor belt.

The sending user may send the carrier by pressing the send button on thehandheld PDA 700. To send a carrier, the delivery information is sent tothe system control module 222 in block 412. In response, the systemcontrol module 222 controls the pneumatic tube system to move thecarrier 610. The carrier 610 leaves the sending station 224 and entersthe pneumatic tube system 200 in block 414.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flowchart illustrating a method for receivingcarriers and payloads 500 from the receiving station 208 according to anembodiment of the present principles is shown. The carrier 610 travelsthrough the pneumatic tube system 200 in block 502 until the carrier 610reaches the slide plate 236, and is retained at, or passed though, theslide plate in response to commands from the system control module inblock 504.

If the sending user did not request that the receiving user scan theirID 120 before the carrier 610 reaches the carrier receiving bin 210,then the slide door opens in block 506, allowing the carrier 610 to movethrough to the carrier receiving bin 210 at the receiving station 208.The system control module 222 then determines whether or not thereceiving user ID 120 was scanned in block 508.

If the receiving user ID 120 was scanned then the receiving usercontinues to scan the receiving station ID 106 and carrier ID 122 inblock 514. If the receiving user ID is not scanned then the systemcontrol module 222 determines if the sending user requested notificationif the receiving user ID 120 is not scanned in block 510. If the sendinguser requested notification than the system control module 222 sends analarm notifying the sending user in block 512. If the sending user didnot request notification then the receiving user scans the receivingstation ID 106 and carrier ID 122 in block 514 and selects the acceptbutton on the handheld PDA 700. The system control module 222 thenverifies and stores the delivery information in block 526 and sends aconfirmation message to the sending user in block 528. The contents 110of the carrier 610 are then delivered to the end user in block 530.

If the sending user requests that the receiving user scan their ID 120before the carrier 610 reaches the carrier receiving bin 210, then thesystem control module 222 engages the slide plate 236 in block 516,holding the carrier 610 in the pneumatic tubing 228. The receiving usermust then scan their ID 120 and the receiving station ID 106 in block518 in order to disengage the slide plate 236. After the receiving userID 120 is scanned, the CCC module 206 verifies the user ID beforeunlocking the slide plate 236. After verification, the CCC module 206commands the slide plate 236 to disengage. The receiving user thenselects the drop carrier button on the handheld PDA and the slide plate236 disengages in block 520, moving the carrier 610 through to thecarrier receiving bin 210 and to the receiving station 208 in block 522.The receiving user scans the carrier ID 122 in block 524. The systemcontrol module 222 then verifies the delivery information in block 526and if selected by the sending user, a confirmation message is sent tothe sending user in block 528. The delivery information is sent to bestored in the database module 202 and the contents are delivered to theend user by the receiving user in block 530.

Referring now to FIG. 6A, a diagram of the carrier 610 with a uniqueidentifying, optically scannable, tag (i.e. a bar code) 620 according toan embodiment 600 of the present principles is shown. The bar code 620may be disposed on any part of the carrier 610, enabling the inlineidentifying tag readers 220 to scan the bar code 620 and transmit thedelivery information and reception information to the system controlmodule 222.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, a diagram of the carrier 610 with a uniqueidentifying RFID tag 640 according to an embodiment 630 of the presentprinciples is shown. The RFID tags 640 may be disposed on any part ofthe carrier 610, enabling the inline identifying tag readers 220 to scanthe RFID tags 640 and transmit the delivery information and receptioninformation to the system control module 222.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a handheld PDA 700 configured for useas an identifying tag reader and user interface according to anembodiment of the present principles is depicted. While the handheld PDA700 is described as a useful embodiment of the present principles, it isonly exemplary of an identifying tag reader that may be used. Forexample, a non-handheld PDA may be used, in addition to a touch keyinitialization module attached to a wall, etc.

The handheld PDA 700 is provided to capture and present data associatedwith sending and receiving pneumatic tube system deliveries. The PDAallows the user to perform operations required to send and receive acarrier delivery transaction without requiring an interface built intoeach station. The handheld PDA 700 may capture unique identifiers (barcodes, RFID tags, or the like) associated with individual carriers,sending stations, receiving stations, and sending and receiving users tohelp track the delivery information.

The database module 202 and CCC module 206 may provide notification to asending user's cell phone, PDA, e-mail, etc., regarding delivery detailsas well as providing notification to receiving users of incomingcarriers based on options chosen from the handheld PDA 700. The handheldPDA 700 may further provide options for secure sending, such as holdinga carrier at a station slide plate 236 until the receiving user scanstheir ID.

The handheld PDA 700 provides real-time information to users. Thisinformation transmitted from the handheld PDA 700 and stored in thedatabase module 202 may be password protected and accessible through aweb browser or any other useful interface. Handheld PDA 700 is capableof collecting many types of information, including but not limited tothe sending user's ID, the content's ID, the carrier's ID, the sendingstation's sent ID, the receiving station's ID, the time the transactionwas requested, the time the carrier left the station, the travel time tocarrier destination, the transaction number, whether or not it is asecure send, whether or not an alarm has been chosen, the alarm type ifchosen, the time the carrier arrived at it's destination, the receivinguser's ID, the time the carrier was scanned upon arrival, and thereceiving station ID. While the handheld PDA 700 has at least thesecapabilities, any combination of these capabilities may be used to trackand record delivery information and reception information.

The steps of using the handheld PDA 700 from the sending user's station224 can be described in reference to FIG. 7A. In one embodiment, inorder to initialize a transaction, the sending user first selects the“Send” tab 712 on face 710 of handheld PDA 700. The sending user thenscans the sending station ID 104. In one useful embodiment, the scan maybe initiated by pressing the scan button 706 on either side of the PDA700 while holding the PDA 700 up to the unique identifying tags (i.e.bar code, RFID, optical sensor, etc.) used for the sending station ID104. A check-mark at “Station” 714 may indicate that the sending stationID 104 has been properly scanned. The sending user may scan thereceiving station ID 106 and the interface 740 may indicate that “Dest.”716 or the receiving station ID 106 has been properly scanned. Next, thesending user may also scan the carrier ID 114 and the interface 740 mayindicate, by showing a check-mark in the box next to “Carrier” 718, thatthe carrier ID 114 has been properly scanned. The sending user may alsoscan the carrier contents 110 and the sending user ID 112. The interface740 may indicate, by a check-mark in the box next to “User” 720, thatthe sending user ID 112 has been properly scanned.

The sending user then has the option of securely sending the carrier 610by requiring the receiving user to scan the receiving user ID 120 beforeor after the carrier 610 drops into the carrier receiving bin 210. Ifthe sending user desires that the receiving user scan their ID 120before the carrier 610 is delivered, then the sending user may selectthe “Before Drop” 722 button. A check-mark may appear in the box next to“Before Drop” 722 to indicate that this option has been selected. If thesending user desires that the receiving user scan their ID 120 after thecarrier 610 drops, then the sending user chooses the “After Drop” 724button and the interface 740 may indicate via a check-mark in the boxnext to “After Drop” 724 to show that this option has been selected.

If the sending user chooses “After Drop” 724, the sending user also hasthe option of selecting “Alarm” 726 to be notified if the receiving userdoes not scan their receiving user ID 120 after the carrier 610 drops. Acheck-mark may appear in the box next to “Alarm” 726 to indicate thatthis option has been selected. Further, the sending user can choose tobe notified when the carrier 610 “Arrives” 728, “Flips” 730, or “Alarms”732. A check-mark next to an appropriate label may indicate whichoptions have been selected. The sending user may also send the carrier610 by selecting the send button 734 to complete the transaction.

The steps of using the handheld PDA 700 from the receiving station 208can be described in reference to FIG. 7B. In order to receive a carrierdelivery the receiving user first selects the “Receive” tab 738 on theface 710 of handheld PDA 700. Alternately, the system control module 222may notify the receiving user that a carrier 610 has arrived. Thereceiving user may scan any ID, such as their user ID or the carrier ID,by pressing the scan button 706 on either side of the PDA 700 whileholding the PDA 700 up to the unique identifying tags. A check-mark may,for example, appear in the interface 740 of the PDA 700 in the box nextto “Station” 704 to show that the receiving station ID 104 has beenproperly scanned or the interface 740 may indicate by a check-mark inthe box next to “User” 702 to show that the receiving user ID 120 hasbeen properly scanned and “Carrier” 708 to show that the carrier ID 122has been properly scanned. The receiving user may also select the “DropCarrier” 736 button to manually release the carrier 610 into the carrierreceiving bin 210 in the receiving station 208.

The receiving user may initiate the recordation of a received carrier byselecting the “Receive” tab 738. The receiving user may scan thereceiving station ID 106, the receiving user ID 120 or carrier ID 122.The user interface on the PDA may show, via, for example, a check-marknext to the “Station” 704, “User” 702 and “Carrier” 708 icons toindicate that the associated ID has been properly scanned. The receivinguser may select the “Accept” 742 button on the user interface 740 tocomplete the transaction. The sending user may receive a confirmationmessage that the carrier 610 was delivered if that option was selectedwhen the carrier 610 was sent. While in one useful embodiment a checkmark may be used as an indicator of selections and properly scanned IDs,any other indicator may be used without deviating from the scope of theinvention. For example, an “x” may indicate that an ID was properlyscanned, an ID or selection may be highlighted to indicate that it wasproperly scanned, or any other interface may be used that is known inthe art or as yet undiscovered.

While the interface for the PDA 700 is described herein as having aspecific type of interface for reading specific types of IDs andpermitting the user to interact with the tracking system, any interfacepermitting a user to interact with the tracking system may beadvantageously disposed on the PDA 700 or on any other input element.Likewise, while the PDA 700 may actively read ID tags, such as bar codesor optical codes, the PDA 700 may also passively read RFID tags or otherradio frequency identifiers, or may use any combination of passive andactive ID detection. For example, a user may have an RFID badge that ispassively read while the carrier may have an optical ID tag that isactively read. In another useful embodiment, the PDA 700 may beassociated with a particular user, sending station, receiving station,or the like, the ID for which is stored in the PDA 700 or elsewhere inthe tracking system for recall when a user sends a payload. In such anembodiment, the PDA 700 may automatically attribute the stored user ID,sending station ID, or receiving station ID to the outgoing payload.

Referring to FIG. 8, disclosed is a pneumatic tube station for use witha pneumatic tube system. Station 800 connects to a pneumatic tube systemvia transmission tubing and communications capability. Station 800contains touch screen 802, which allows for user input andcommunication. Preferably, touch screen 802 has at least the sameinterface functionality of PDA 700. Touch screen 802 allows a user toidentify the destination for the carrier and input any otherinstructions for the handling of the carrier. Instructions may includeoptions such as “Before Drop”, “After Drop”, “Arrives”, “Flips” or“Alarms” options, and the user may request notification if the carriergets stuck in a tube or the contents have spilled. In an alternativeembodiment, the functions of touch screen 802 may be accomplished usingmanual buttons, switches or other controls, in which event a screenwithout touch capability may be used.

Station 800 also contains a card reader 804. Card reader 804 may readand store information from a unique ID card associated with the carriercontents or payload, the sending user's ID card, the receiving user's IDcard, or a unique ID card associated with the carrier itself The cardreader 804 may also read and store information from a unique ID cardassociated with the sending station and/or delivery station. Preferably,card reader 804 is designed to read cards swiped through the card reader804. In alternative embodiments, card reader 804 may read the ID card ofobjects using an optical scanning system to read bar codes, charactersor other objects. The card reader 804 may identify objects using RFID orother radio frequency technology, and may actively or passively readcards. Additionally, any other identification technology known, or asyet undiscovered, may be used within the scope of the presentprinciples.

Station 800 also contains a scanner 806. Scanner 806 may read and storea unique ID tag associated with the carrier contents or payload, thesending user's ID, the receiving user's ID, or the carrier ID. Thescanner 806 may also read and store a unique ID tag associated with thesending station and/or delivery station. Preferably, scanner 806 isdesigned to read the ID tag of objects using an optical scanning systemto read bar codes, characters or other objects. The scanner 806 mayidentify objects using RFID or other radio frequency technology, and mayactively or passively scan IDs. Additionally, any other identificationtechnology known, or as yet undiscovered, may be used within the scopeof the present principles.

Preferably, card reader 804 and scanner 806 are affixed to station 800.Alternatively, card reader 804 and/or scanner 806 may be embodied in ahandheld device in signal communication with station 800.

Station 800 contains a carrier receiving bin 812. Also shown arecarriers 810. Station 800 is in signal communication with the systemcontrol module 222, and information is communicated between station 800and system control module 222.

Station 800 may also be connected via network to other informationsystems. In a hospital environment, station 800 can be linked to otherhospital systems such as pharmacy management, laboratory management andsecurity management systems. Such communication may be made by wired orwireless connection, packet-switched network, or other communicationssystem. In this regard, information from the pneumatic tube system maybe integrated into a larger hospital system, and information from thehospital system may be used by station 800 and other elements of thesystem.

Lights or speakers may be included in, or connected to, station 800.These may be used to notify users that a carrier has been received, thatan error has occurred, that maintenance is required, or for any othersuitable purpose.

It will be appreciated that although the above pneumatic tube carriertracking system description is described as used in a hospital, thepresent principles are not limited to such use. For instance, theprinciples could be used in any other businesses or enterprises wherecustomized product deliver is desired. While the foregoing embodimentsof the principles have been set forth in considerable detail for thepurposes of making a complete disclosure of the principles, it will beapparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be madeto such features without departing from the spirit and the scope of thepresent principles.

1. A method for sending and tracking a carrier in a pneumatic tubecarrier tracking system, the method comprising: accepting at least onecarrier; capturing delivery information associated with the carrier at asending station; transmitting the delivery information to a systemcontrol module; transporting the at least one carrier through apneumatic tube system; routing the at least one carrier through thepneumatic tube system in response to the delivery information; andtracking the at least one carrier by capturing at least one identifierassociated with the at least one carrier via at least one sensor.
 2. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the at least one identifier isassociated with at least one of a carrier contents ID, a carrier ID, asending user ID, a sending station ID, and a receiving station ID. 3.The method according to claim 1, further comprising capturing at leastone of an optically scannable identifier tag and a Radio FrequencyIdentification (“RFID”) tag.
 4. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising capturing delivery information via a handheld device.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, further comprising capturing deliveryinformation via a touch screen.
 6. The method according to claim 1,further comprising capturing delivery information via a card reader. 7.The method according to claim 1, further comprising capturing deliveryinformation via a scanner.
 8. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising: storing the delivery information in at least one systemcontrol module; interpreting the delivery information stored in thesystem control module; and controlling the operations of the pneumatictube system by the system control module according to the deliveryinformation.